Software tester

Testing methodologies and tricks every experienced software tester should be well-familiar with, and how the QA specialist should work with the developers.

Pauline Rycombel

Last updated on July 12, 2020 | 8 min read

Testing

How can you stay profitable in the market? That is one question that business owners often ask themselves. One way to scale up your business is by developing software that can be used to improve your systems such as Enterprise software. Another way is to create software that can be used by your customers. However, this method will only be profitable if your software has gone through proper testing.
No matter which dev shop you choose to go with, you must always ensure that your software has been tested before going live. Quality Assurance and Testing conducted by a software tester is always a part of the rigorous development process.

Functional Testing

This type of testing aims to test the software or applications against the set requirements by the business. It ensures that the software’s function is according to the use cases provided by the business and the design team. Bespoke software development would have custom features that are uniquely tailored to their business. Thus making functional testing an important part of the development process. Functional testing is composed of several testing stages composed of these methods and done in the order listed below.

Unit Testing

This part of the test is done by the developers of the module themselves. In a test-driven environment, they run the tests themselves before handing the software to the test team.

Integration Testing

A software or application often has multiple components that are designed to perform their respective tasks. In the integration testing, these individual modules are now linked together and tested as a group. This to establish a seamless interaction between the systems. The testers will run the software through several scenarios wherein they certify that the program is running as desired.

System Testing

System Testing is probably what people would be a bit more familiar with. It is also called a black box testing method wherein they evaluate and test the entire system for bugs and errors. It is a data-driven test that ensures that the software passes the defined parameters before being handed over to production.

Acceptance Testing

This is the final phase of the Functional Testing. In this stage, the testing team ensures that all the project requirements have been met and it has been tested by the end-users or consumers through BETA testing.

Non-functional Testing

In contrast to the functional testing which focused on testing the system against the business requirements, non-functional testing is a back-end testing that measures the software against specified technical parameters such as scalability, vulnerability, usability.

Performance Testing

The system is tested under increasing load to measure how it behaves under circumstances. The goal of this test is to check the system’s stability and responsiveness in real user situations.

Security Testing

Data is one of the most important assets in a company and with the rise of cloud-based testing platforms comes the threat of increasing cyber-attacks. Security should be a listed priority when developing software. Software testers do this type of testing by deliberately finding loopholes and security risks in the application and addressing those risks.

Usability Testing

This particular method assesses the software from the end-user perspective. Its goal is to check the ease-of-use of the software. In CRM development, it is important to check if the users are able to intuitively navigate the system to ensure its user-friendliness. Teams can review the functions separately or the system as a whole to check if the system is intuitive.

Compatibility Testing

As the name suggests, this test is done to certify the system’s compatibility with multiple platforms, browsers, and operating systems. It is especially important for applications these days wherein platforms often share log-in functions and more.
For a software tester, QA and testing methodologies are strategies that can certify that the software meets the set expectations.

5 good testing practices

Knowing the kinds of tests for development is a good start. But now let us take a look at several testing practices that you need to take note of.

1. Programmers should not conduct tests on their own code

Did you know that you are more likely to miss an error the more you spend time looking or creating something? It is not just writers who need editors but also developers. It is best to have someone test their work to prevent bias and welcome new input for improvement.

2. Maintain the written documentation and report all tests

Practicing good documentation helps track all aspects of the software that can be used to improve its quality, provide information for easier maintenance, and of course, transfer of knowledge. In case the program is handed over to a different developer, the documentation will serve as a guide for them.

3. Write detailed bug reports

Just like writing the documentation, it is important to take note of all the bugs that the team has encountered during the testing stages. This can also be used for future reference in case they encounter a similar situation.

4. Write down a user story and test it

User stories are used to create a scenario from an end-user perspective. Testing these scenarios is a great way to determine if the software is functioning as intended.

5. Do the regression testing

Software will often have updates done to them especially during the development stages. The regression testing is done taking into account these improvements. When a new code is entered into the system, the old functionalities should still function as desired. The goal is to prevent any unwelcome side-effects when making changes to the code.

Collaboration between Developers and QA specialists

Development is always done as a team. Even at development companies that remotely operated, the collaboration between the developers and the software testers is always observed. Very often software development teams practice Agile development strategy to ensure close cooperation and smooth flow of operations between all the members of the teams. This process is only achievable through excellent communication.
Oftentimes, the development stage and the testing stage are a back and forth process. If you take a look at the Agile software cycle, you would notice that the development and testing stage are right next to each other. The developers would hand over the modules to the software testers and if there are certain areas that need improvement, it would be handed back to the developers. These two work hand in hand to achieve a product ready for deployment.

Take Away

Most development teams, if not all practice Agile development, and one of the components in this process is testing. It is a step that cannot be taken lightly if you want your software or application launch to go smoothly and see a profit. That is the main reason why ensuring that your software tester is a reliable person is so crucial. Check with your development team to see if they are performing the right tests and doing the right testing practices to certify that your software is ready for its end-users.